


Cold Leads and Colder Hearts

by jsaint34



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, romanogers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-09-26 23:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9928472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jsaint34/pseuds/jsaint34
Summary: An alternate universe story featuring many of our favorite Avengers characters in a different life.  All of them still lead lives as law enforcement but in a real world setting outside of the main Marvel Continuity.  Also features some countries from Marvel, such as Sokovia and Latveria but will still also feature real world countries additionally.





	1. Curve Ball

**Author's Note:**

> I really try not to post more stories especially multi-chapter works when I have others that still have to be finished. As such, I'm only going to post the first chapter while I finish some of the other works I already have on here. But this idea popped up while I was watching the Medallion with Jackie Chan and Claire Forlani (great movie) and the idea wouldn't leave me alone. As always I only own the plot and none of the characters. And as always no infringement on Marvel stories or those of other author's was intended. Hope you all enjoy.

Steve Rogers and James Barnes have been best friends all of their lives. Ever since they met they were inseparable. As they grew up they were always looking out for one another. They even enlisted in the Army together, and when they were discharged from Special Forces and the Howling Commandos they came home as many soldiers do, only to be recruited by an off the books covert division of the F.B.I. known as SHIELD. They were joined in this division by Phil Coulson, his partner Melinda May, and their protégé’s Grant Ward and Daisy Johnson. Under the leadership of Director Nick Fury, the team became one of the best the Bureau had to offer. Five years and fifty successful missions just cemented this status. Then the day came that one of their own was revealed to be a traitor. Ward had been revealed to have been recruited by a rogue agent by the name of John Garrett. Garrett had been secretly working for a group known as the Crimson Skull; he had come to Ward back when the boy was in juvenile detention. 

This group had been a threat during Steve and Bucky’s time in the Army. The Commandos had done everything they could to erase this group, and were met with some success and the military organization seemed to have been decimated. They had only gone into hiding to plan their next attempts at worldwide domination. On a mission to Sokovia; SHIELD was led into a trap which led to the capture of Phil, May and Daisy. Steve and Bucky were severely injured and only made it out thanks to the efforts of the remaining Commandos who had been sent in as backup.

Six months passed as the best friends recovered from their injuries. When they had been cleared to return to duty Fury had been doing everything he could to get some sort of intelligence on his captured agents. There were no ransom demands and in the interim it seemed as if their enemy had once again dropped off the face of the Earth. Then they got their best lead since this whole ordeal had begun.

“Rogers, Barnes… I know you two are desperate to get back into the field and I just received Intel from Interpol on the possible whereabouts of the Crimson Skull and our people.”

“Where are they Sir? Where are we going?”

“Not so fast Barnes…we can’t just jump right into this. The Intel comes from one of my contacts overseas. Interpol has been after the Skull nearly as long as we have. So far the information is credible, but I can’t greenlight a mission yet.”

“With all due respect Nick…it’s been six months. If there is any chance our people are still alive…we need to move now.”

“Rogers…I know you trusted Ward the most and you want the chance to take him down, but this is a delicate situation. The last time we went overseas we did so with approval from the European Union. But that mission was also a colossal failure in their eyes. As such two Interpol Agents will be taking the lead on this case. We’re being allowed to go in on that condition because they know of our situation. Just know that they’ll be watching you very closely.”

“So this mission is a go then.”

“It’s a go…you leave in the morning for Latveria.”

“Wait…Latveria? Von Doom doesn’t take kindly to…”

“Interpol has massive Intel on his illegal dealings. He will have no say in this. So pack your bags… because you’ll be meeting their Agents there.”

Bucky and Steve left Fury’s office to pack for their trip. Given that they’d been on this case the info they already had didn’t need anything new on their end, but they knew Interpol would have Intel to add. While they were getting ready the two Interpol agents they would be meeting with were already on a flight to Latveria. Natasha Romanoff had briefly worked for the F.B.I. before being recruited by Interpol. She’s been with Interpol for five years now and it helped her have the most stable life she could have while taking care of her cousin who was now more like a sister. Wanda Maximoff had been inspired by Natasha after moving to America when her parents died. To that end, she studied law enforcement, eventually joining Interpol as well and becoming Natasha’s trainee and now her partner. During their flight Natasha was reviewing the files she had been sent by Fury while Wanda napped.

“Shit…”

Natasha’s expletive roused Wanda from her light sleep and she immediately sat up, taking notice of her cousin’s furrowed brow and the angry set of her lips as she continued perusing the information.

“What’s wrong Tasha? You’re usually so calm when it comes to missions like this.”

“Who says I’m not calm? We’ve got our best lead on the Skull in months and now it seems as if there’s a snag in the mission.”

“It can’t be one too difficult to overcome. So what has you so worried?”

“You know I respect Fury, right?”

“Uh-huh…he was your commanding officer during your time with the Bureau.”

“Well, we’re going to have some company on this mission.”

“You mean babysitting…”

“Kind of…three of Fury’s people from SHIELD were abducted…they had a traitor in their ranks. And now his last two agents are also on this mission.”

“And they’ll no doubt be looking for revenge…that’s not good.”

“No, it isn’t. And you know what the worst part of it is…?”

“I have a feeling you’re going to tell me.”

“One of the Agents…is my ex…”

“Steve? I thought you two parted amicably?”

“We did…he went back to the war and we lost touch for a while. When he came back…I had already joined Interpol…I asked him to come with me.”

“I’ve heard this all before Tasha. He said he wanted some time to himself after being away for so long. You did say you couldn’t fault him for that.”

“I couldn’t. But now he’s a SHIELD agent. Seems he joined the Agency almost immediately after I left.”

“Well, I’m not worried.”

“You’re not?”

“Of course not…you trained me and I know you won’t let any remaining personal feelings you have for him get in the way of our mission.”

Wanda chuckled at Natasha’s incredulous expression when she mentioned her feelings for Steve. Feelings that the redhead vehemently insisted didn’t exist any longer. Since they still had five hours left in their flight, Wanda leaned back and was once again fast asleep. When she was out, Natasha retrieved her phone from her purse and though it was on airplane mode, she could still scroll through her photos. She always went to the last one in the gallery. It was from happier days when she and Steve had still been together. For her it was ironic that this photo was taken exactly one year before she would be recruited by Interpol. And as she thinks back, she can’t remember any time of her life being better than that day.

FLASHBACK:

It was July 4th 2011, and Bucky insisted that the three of them go to Coney Island for Steve’s birthday. Steve of course had adamantly protested considering the last time they had gone to the Amusement park Bucky wouldn’t take no for an answer when Steve didn’t want to ride the Cyclone. Consequently Bucky did get his way and Steve got sick. This was back when he had yet to hit his last growth spurt and still suffered from asthma and severe motion sickness. But he did have that late spurt and outgrew both of those, and also couldn’t deny the pleading look Natasha had given him. She was tough as nails in her career, but only Steve got to see her softer side.

“Come on Steve…it’s just a rollercoaster. I know you have your trepidations but you’re not the same guy you were back then. Please ride it with me?”

“Okay Nat, you know I can’t say no to you.”

When the ride was over, Natasha could tell Steve had indeed enjoyed the ride, especially when she had screamed in a mix of joy and slight fear at the first drop. She had grabbed onto his arm and was clutching it tightly the whole time. Unlike her previous boyfriend Steve didn’t judge her on the way back to their car. But it was the week after where everything began to change.

“They’re sending me back to war Nat…me and Bucky. I know this wasn’t in our plans but my time in the Army isn’t over yet.”

“I’m not angry Steve. This is the job you love…go; do it. I promise I’ll still be here when you get back.”

With a kiss goodbye at the terminal gate Steve boarded the plane after Bucky had. Natasha watched in silence as the love of her life left her. But she had made him a promise. She would be there when he got back. They wrote letters as often as they could, but some of those eventually didn’t make it. It was a year before a now Captain Steve Rogers and Bucky came back and were honorably discharged. On July 4th 2012; Steve and Natasha were celebrating his birthday once again, this time sans Bucky who had gone home to Indiana to see his sister. 

“So Bucky’s gone for the whole summer?”

“Yeah Nat…when his sister Rebecca was old enough she decided to move back to Indiana. He stayed here, I’m still not sure why.”

“Maybe it was because he felt you still needed looking after. I mean to him you were still the scrawny kid who was constantly picking fights.”

“Nat…”

“I was just teasing you. You have a good heart Steve; you always stood up for those in trouble. It’s one of the qualities I admire most about you. But…”

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re about to tell me something I don’t want to hear?”

“Steve…while you were gone…”

“Let me stop you there…tell me you didn’t meet someone else while I was away?”

“What?! No…Steve why would you even think that?”

“Well we lost contact for a while…maybe I was just…”

“Steve…I would never cheat on you. I love you. I’ve been with the Bureau for a year now, and an old friend of mine contacted me. He’d heard about the cases I’d taken and he wants me to join Interpol.”

“An old friend…”

“Yes…you’ve met him. Clint Barton…he’s been with Interpol for a good ten years…and he’s now running his own team. He wants me to be a part of it.”

“I do remember Clint…he and his wife Laura took care of you after you moved here from Russia. So what did you say?”

“I said I’d think about it.”

“What’s there to think about? This would be an amazing opportunity for you.”

“I want you to come with me.”

“I’m sorry…you…”

“I don’t want to go without you. Headquarters is in Ireland, and you said you always wanted to learn more about your ancestors.”

“I did say that. Nat I would love nothing more than to be there with you…”

“Now I get the feeling you’re about to tell me something I don’t want to hear.”

“I’ve been away from home for so long. In one country or another fighting a war that I saw a lot of my brothers and sisters die in. I’d do it all again if I had to. But I just need some time to unwind…get settled in back home. A move now…”

“You don’t want to go. I get it. What about us? I thought we’d…”

“Natasha…I’ll always be here for you. My heart belongs to you.”

“Then I won’t go. I’m not going to leave if you aren’t going with me.”

“I can’t let you do that. It would be selfish if I did. I want you to go. Take this opportunity.”

“Steve…” 

“Nat…if you don’t do this you’ll regret it. Maybe not today…maybe not tomorrow…”

“Don’t you dare Casablanca me Steven Grant Rogers.”

“Sorry…I just don’t want you to pass up what could be the opportunity of a life time. One year ago you told me you’d be here when I got back. I’m telling you the same thing.”

END OF FLASHBACK:

Natasha knew Steve had been telling her the truth. He didn’t want to be the one she gave up her dream for. The morning she left they shared an almost inappropriate kiss goodbye at the airport, not knowing when they’d see each other again. She’s still thinking about that kiss as she continues to stare at her phone. Only Wanda’s hand on her shoulder brought her out of her memories.

“Tasha did you hear me?”

“Sorry what?”

“We’re getting ready to land. We’re in Latveria.”

As soon as they were off the plane Natasha received a text from Clint alerting her to the intelligence that a member of the Crimson Skull was also in the country. Before they could meet with the SHIELD agents, they had to apprehend him first. He also went on to say that Wanda was to be the one to undertake the assignment while she acted as backup. At the other end of the airport Steve was reading a similar text from Fury. And Bucky was going to be the one on the case. None of the four knew it yet, but this would lead to a massive misunderstanding between both agencies.


	2. Unexpected Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to wrap up and post this chapter yesterday but I've been having problems with my laptop keyboard so I had to get a wireless one so I could finish this chapter. I was also still reeling over the news that one of my favorite actors Bill Paxton passed away. He was in some of my all time favorite movies, Weird Science...Twister... Tombstone to name a few and I can't forget his time as John Garrett on Agents of SHIELD. R.I.P. Bill Paxton. Anyway, on with Chapter 2.

Both teams had received the information and a current photo of their target through a secure connection on their tablets. Reports indicated that he was to meet with a high ranking official in Von Doom’s government. Natasha and Wanda knew that if Von Doom was forming an alliance with the Crimson Skull; Interpol would finally be able to put him away for good. They were to track the target to the front of the hotel bar where Wanda would intercept. Meanwhile Steve and Bucky were going to stakeout the area and let the meeting go through, only to catch both men, arresting the Skull. In their hotel, Natasha was going over everything Wanda would need to do to seduce their target.

“Tasha…I’m nervous. This is the first time I’ve…”

“Had to pretend to seduce someone, I know.”

“It should be you doing this…you weren’t codenamed Black Widow for nothing.”

“Just relax Wanda…you’ve seen me do this hundreds of times. Be calm…be collected. You’re not going to have to do anything with him…just keep him from meeting his contact.”

“But still…”

“Wanda; I’ll be right out front. You’ll be fine…I know you can do this. So come on; we need to get going.”

Wanda took a few deep breaths and readjusted the revealing red dress she had chosen. When she was ready they took the elevator down. Wanda’s cover was as an American on vacation in Latveria. Her attire was chosen because the target in question had an affinity for foreign women and an American in Latveria would surely qualify. Natasha would be watching from a café across the street. At the same time as she and Natasha were taking their places, Bucky was sitting at a table pretending to read a local newspaper while Steve was playing up the tourist route and feigning sightseeing. After twenty minutes he caught sight of the target approaching a table with a briefcase in hand.

“Blue Jay…I have eyes on the target. Three tables to your left.”

Behind the paper, Bucky tapped his earpiece three times to signal the message was received. Now all they had to do was wait for Von Doom’s representative. While they were keeping an eye on the target, Wanda was looking around the outdoor bar and spotted the man. He was alone and she made her move to sit down right in front of him.

“Excuse me…is this seat taken?”

The target was looking at his watch when she walked up and spoke rather tersely, almost ignoring her presence. 

“Da…I am waiting for someone…he should be here any…”

“You’re Russian?”

“Da…now if you would…”

When he looked up from his watch he caught his first glimpse of the woman in front of him. She had long wavy brown hair and eyes that were like a deep chocolate brown. Instantly taken by her beauty, he immediately apologized.

“Forgive me…I was rude. Please sit. I could use the company.”

“Thank you…I’ve never been to Latveria before. I came here on vacation and I was hoping to find…”

“A tour guide perhaps? I have been here many times. It is strange for an American to be here. I have learned that Victor Von Doom does not have a good relationship with the American people, or their Embassy.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I was only born in America to Sokovian parents then, isn’t it?”

“A very good thing…; tell me…”

While Wanda was distracting the man, Bucky caught sight of her sitting down with his target and knew that she could be the contact they were waiting for. Despite being on a mission he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was, though he had to remain professional. He could only hear snippets of their conversation but from what he could tell, she was American. If the woman was the contact, it meant Von Doom had a change of M.O. and their Intel was possibly faulty. With a discreet move, he tapped out a Morse code signal on his earpiece to Steve.

“No…nothing about her in the files. Von Doom’s representative is male. Not sure who this woman is. Keep watching.”

Bucky quickly tapped out an affirmative when Von Doom’s associate finally walked up. Needless to say he was slightly perturbed at the woman who had taken his seat and let his frustrations be known, quite loudly in fact.

“This was supposed to be a one on one. My superior would be displeased to learn that you…”

“She is nobody. Just a tourist I will be showing around later. I assure you she will not interfere with our business.”

“Please…don’t let me be a distraction…I’ll just go get us some drinks while you have your meeting.”

Wanda stepped away from the table. She hadn’t seduced the target the way Natasha would have, but she did feel his hand on her knee so she knew she had him. Although she did have to bite back her disgust at the feeling of his sweaty palm working a path up her thigh, she remained calm and collected the whole time. While she was at the bar, Natasha spoke through their comms to keep Wanda’s confidence high.

“You’re doing great…just keep him talking. If this guy has information on where his organization is hiding, we need it. I want concrete information on where the captive agents are so we can deliver that to SHIELD.”

“I copy…making my way back now.”

When Wanda had the drinks she maneuvered her way back to the table and sat down on the target’s lap. He didn’t even bat an eye as he continued talking.

“So…Von Doom wants information on SHIELD? I’m sure he is aware that they have long been a thorn in Mr. Schmidt’s side.”

“Indeed he is. Mr. Von Doom is willing to help…he has weapons in the final stages of development that will prevent SHIELD from ever causing problems for the Crimson Skull in the future. All he needs is a show of good faith. You do have the money?”

“Of course…”

Wanda stood up just long enough for her primary target to retrieve his briefcase. When he had placed it on the table and turned it towards Von Doom’s representative; she sat back down. 

“This is all of it?”

“As requested…$100 million in American currency. We have a deal?”

“We do. The payment is accepted…we just need the location of your base to send the weapons as soon as they are complete.”

The Russian slid a piece of paper across the table with the coordinates for the drop. Wanda only got a fleeting look, but she memorized them as quickly as possible. It turned out she hadn’t needed to because Von Doom’s agent spoke the location loud enough for Natasha to hear.

“Mount Wundagore? This is where your base is?”

“SHIELD has tracked us no matter where we go. Sokovia…Austria…we have been forced to flee. Mr. Schmidt is a cunning adversary, but so is his enemy.”

“Indeed…it is even rumored that SHIELD and Interpol are working together to bring down Mr. Von Doom. Which leads me to the initial reason we arranged this meeting. You also have the flash drive?”

“Da…everything you need to know about SHIELD and the Director Nick Fury is loaded on here. I trust you will put it to good use?”

Without another word, Von Doom’s representative dropped the flash drive in the briefcase and quickly closed it. He had what he came for and left the table and the bar. Steve watched him go and followed shortly after as had been the plan. With his attention focused on the secondary target he hadn’t noticed someone else following along. Natasha had also left immediately after he did. It was then that the Russian turned his attention back to Wanda as Bucky turned his attention back to the both of them. 

“So…you were looking for a tour guide…perhaps something more? I do have a room here if you would care to get to know each other in a more private and intimate setting?”

Wanda stood up, and the Russian wrapped an arm around her waist before leading her back to the bar. While he paid for their drinks Bucky maneuvered for a different route to follow behind them. So far he presumed that the woman was not a threat. He kept close watch from a concealed corner as his target approached the hotel desk and retrieved his keycard for Room 616. With his newspaper still in hand he patiently made his way to the other elevator and was out of sight before his target and the woman were inside. Now he just had to remain concealed until the time to intervene was right. 

About a mile and a half from the hotel Steve was still following the secondary target. Von Doom’s representative had been a last minute addition to their Intel and letting him get away was not an option. So far this target had not shown any indication that he knew he was being followed. Not twenty clicks behind them Natasha was once again proving why she was one of the best spies Interpol had to offer. She could see from the way the blonde man in front of her was acting he was terrible at this type of surveillance. To her he was making all of the obvious mistakes a green agent would make. When she realized this, it was a wonder why he hadn’t been caught. When her opportunity came up, she quickly took advantage and darted down an alleyway which would enable her to get ahead of Von Doom’s representative.

“Now I just need to make sure his tail doesn’t see him disappear.”

After five minutes she heard his footsteps drawing near. When he was within reach, she reached out and grabbed him by the collar. Her actions led to him throwing a wild punch, one she could easily avoid. When he was off balance, Natasha grabbed hold of him, covering his mouth with one hand while slamming his head into the wall. When she knew he was unconscious, she grabbed his briefcase and took off running. Whoever the blonde man was, he would soon catch up. Not five minutes later he came to the alley and found his target lying on the ground, his briefcase nowhere in sight.

“Bucky… we’ve got a problem.”

Back at the hotel Bucky was waiting for the second elevator to reach the sixth floor. When he finally heard the sound of it stopping he raised his newspaper once more. As soon as the doors opened he caught a fleeting glance of the woman stepping out first. He could hear the man speaking and was now sure that the target was Russian. 

“I think you will very much enjoy my room. There is something I’d like to show you.”

From training with and then being partnered with Natasha, Wanda knew what her companion was talking about. While she was opening the door she didn’t expect another man to come up and physically assault the target.

“Hey…!”

“Stay back sweetheart…this man is a known terrorist working for the Crimson Skull. Don’t interfere; just let me do my job.”

“Sweetheart…?”

Wanda didn’t know who this man was, but he had just crossed a line. She hated being called sweetheart. Instantly her fury began to boil over and she entered the fray. Her skills were on par with Natasha’s even though she still had a lot to learn. Having grown up in Sokovia, she had been in her fair share of scraps in her younger days. Her brother Pietro had always been there to back her up, but he had stayed behind when she joined Interpol. By the time she became Natasha’s partner, she was already an intense fighter, but training with her cousin only enhanced her skills. Skills that she was now using to single handedly beat the tar out of Bucky and the Russian.

“Hey…hey wait a minute…”

“Don’t care who you are! The Russian is mine!”

Bucky was on the losing end of a battle with this young and furious brunette. The only person he had ever fought with was Steve and they were so evenly matched their sparring sessions always ended in a tie. As he and the woman continued to fight the Russian knew he had the perfect opportunity to escape and did just that.

“Look lady…”

“Don’t even think you can charm your way out of this! You just blew my mission! Whoever you are, and whatever your reason was for trying to take my enemy, you just made the biggest mistake of your life!”

Wanda threw a punch which her opponent easily blocked, but he didn’t realize she had deliberately done that so she could kick him the face. When he went down, she grabbed the handcuffs he had on his belt and cuffed him to the plant stand that was secured to the wall.

“Next time you won’t call a woman you don’t even know sweetheart.”

Wanda turned and bolted for the emergency stairwell. Even in the heat of the battle she had heard the Russian go for the elevator. As she ran down the stairs she called Natasha on their comms, hoping that their luck would hold out.

“Tasha…the Russian is on the move. I’m on him but he has a head start.”

“What happened?”

“I encountered someone who tried to take him down. There was a fight…”

“I’m on my way. Keep the target in sight. If he gets away we’ll never get the Intel we need.”

While Wanda was running after her target and Natasha was running towards him, Steve was still trying to get in contact with Bucky. His first call had gone unanswered, but this time he and his best friend spoke at the same time.

“Steve…we’ve got a problem.”

“Buck…we’ve got a problem.”

“No shit Rogers…I’m cuffed to a plant stand in the hotel on the sixth floor. I just got…”

“Von Doom’s representative was out cold when I caught up to him. Someone beat me to him…sorry…what did you say?”

“I said I just got my ass handed to me by some brunette chick. She was after the Russian as well. Now he’s on the run. She went after him…”

“I’ll get him. Then I’ll be there to help you.”

Steve cut the line and took off at a sprint towards the hotel. He was dodging pedestrians and traffic left and right and jumped over a few cars in his urgency to intercept the Russian. As he rounded the last corner he ran directly into a woman with fiery red hair cascading out from under a fedora who was taking the same route as he did. They instantly collided with each other and the briefcase she had been hanging on to went flying.

Natasha wasn’t sure who had been so careless as to run straight into her so she immediately went on the offensive. The guy that had nearly mowed her down was wearing a pair of sunglasses and a navy blue baseball cap. The only trait that she could come close to identifying was the blonde hair protruding from the back.

“Whoever you are…you’re interfering with an Interpol Agent on a mission to catch a Russian terrorist affiliated with the Crimson Skull. If you don’t get out of my way I’ll have you arrested for obstruction of justice!”

Steve thought for a moment that he recognized the woman’s voice, and she too had on a pair of sunglasses that were concealing her eyes. Whatever thoughts he had of her seeming familiar fell to the wayside as he had to defend himself against her vicious onslaught. With Wanda in pursuit the Russian came across this scene as the spectators watched enthralled at the battle raging before them. Stopping in his tracks was a mistake for the man as his hesitance to continue running allowed Wanda to catch him off guard with a powerful punch to his kidneys, sending him to the ground so she could handcuff him with ease. With this task complete she looked up at Natasha who was still locked in combat with her mystery opponent. She was just as captivated by the fight but knew it wouldn’t solve anything and spoke up.

“Okay Natasha…you can stop the fight now. I’ve got the bad guy.”

Steve heard the brunette behind them say Natasha and went to block an incoming punch, which the redhead lowered at the last second and hit him hard in the gut. Now out of breath he fell to his knees, the impact causing his sunglasses to fall off of his face. When he looked up his deep blue eyes caught the redhead off guard as she immediately recognized his face.

“Steve…?”

“H-hey Nat…”

Natasha’s anger turned to embarrassment as she realized she had just wiped the floor with the man she had never gotten over. Denying her feelings for him was easy when she was with Wanda but having him there in person, even though she knew she would be working with him, still left her in a state of shock.

“Here…Steve let me…”

Steve didn’t hesitate when she held out a hand to help him to his feet. While he did his best to catch his breath, Bucky was shouting over their comms in his ear.

“Steve…you better have gotten the Russian…and that woman who…”

“R-relax B-Bucky. The target is…is in custody.”

“What’s wrong with you? You sound like an obscene phone call…let me guess, you got your ass handed to you as well.”

“More…more or less.”

Natasha smirked as Steve explained the situation to his partner on the other side of their communication. She wasn’t sure but she thought she heard the name Bucky. She did a double take when his name was spoken again.

“I’m on my way back Bucky…with the Interpol agents we were supposed to meet with.”

“Good…because I just realized that the brunette who beat me also took the keys to my cuffs.”

Natasha burst into hysterical laughter as she glanced over at Wanda. She knew she had done her job well in training her cousin for the missions they would undertake if she beat James Buchanan Barnes in a one on one. She even had a feeling she could find the channel Steve was talking to Bucky on and immediately scanned for it. When she found it, he was still going off in a tirade about Wanda.

“Well hi there Bucky…how have you been?”

Bucky fell silent after hearing that voice for the first time in years. He knew exactly who she was and could only imagine what Steve was going through at seeing her again.

“Hi Natasha…what’s new?”

Twenty minutes later Steve, Natasha and Wanda were escorting their prisoner back into the hotel and up to his sixth floor room. Bucky was both angry and embarrassed at the same time as Wanda knelt down and removed his cuffs that she had locked him up with.


	3. Author's Note

Hey Guys... I want to thank everyone who has read and left kudos on this story as well as my others. For those of you who don't keep up with the comic books specifically Captain America comics, one year ago the writers who brought Steve back to his youth decided to write him as having always been an agent of HYDRA. While this was completely due to the Red Skull manipulating a sentient cosmic cube into altering Steve's personal history I found the decision to be done only for shock value. I read the first issue of Steve Rogers: Captain America and I found the whole story tp be preposterous and a slap in the face to 75 years of Captain America's backstory. I won't presume to say what Jack Kirby and Joe Simon would think of this. But I find it completely disrespectful. Long story short they've only continued with this narrative turning one of my favorite comic book characters into everything he stood up against. I know that because it's a comic book this will eventually be retconned and Steve will go back to normal. But for me, this tarnishes the character I grew up with. So for now, I'm taking a break from all of my Captain America stories...I won't delete them, I'm just having a difficult time writing them with the current state Steve in the comics. Again thank you all for the support and someday soon I'll get back to these.


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